Lawmaker will chair the House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation and House Education Subcommittee on Basic Education
HARRISBURG – Rep. Mike Reese (R-Westmoreland/Somerset) today announced he will serve on several House committees in the 2017-18 Session. Reese will serve as chairman of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation and the House Education Subcommittee on Basic Education, and will be a member of the House Consumer Affairs and Liquor Control committees.

“I am honored to be called to serve on these important committees, and certainly, being named chairman of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation,” said Reese. “We have been working to improve our transportation infrastructure in Pennsylvania, and aviation plays a huge role in that effort. The movement of passengers, mail and products throughout the Commonwealth and nation is critical to our economy, adding jobs and businesses.”

Reese said his continuing service on the House Education Committee enables him to advance the cause of educational choice for parents and students in Pennsylvania. He has been named chairman of the House Education Subcommittee in Basic Education.
Reese will continue to work to improve transparency regarding the operation of charter and cyber charter schools by reintroducing House Bill 530, which proposed an overhaul of charter and cyber-charter oversight regulations dealing with ethics, governance and auditing reforms. During last session, this bill was passed by the House, amended in the Senate and stalled in the House upon its return.

“I have long been advocating for expanded choice in education and have worked on funding changes for charter and cyber-charter schools,” said Reese.

Reese said his work on the House Liquor Control Committee aided in the revamping of alcohol sales in Pennsylvania.

“We have achieved a level of accomplishment in modernizing the liquor system in Pennsylvania, but we still have a lot of work to do,” he said. “Part of this effort will include my reintroduction of ‘Spirits-to-Go’ legislation that proposes to establish a Spirit Expanded Permit that could be purchased by any business that holds a valid restaurant or hotel license. With the expanded permit, such businesses would be permitted to sell up to three liters of spirits in a single transaction for the purpose of off-premises consumption.”

Reese adds a new committee to his responsibilities, the House Consumer Affairs Committee.

Reese has championed the cause of utility “smart meter” legislation in an effort to provide consumers with the opportunity to opt out of having these meters installed in homes and businesses “My work to provide consumer choice in the installation of electricity ‘smart meters’ will continue as I intend to reintroduce substantive consumer protection legislation on “smart meters,” said Reese. “This comes in addition to re-introducing legislation that intends to allow consumers the ability to ‘opt out’ of having a smart meter all together.”

His prior legislation on this issue, House Bill 395, was approved by the House, but was not taken up by the Senate in the previous session. If enacted, it would have listed government agencies as a third party that would require a consumer’s consent before customer data is shared.